Definitions

Special Education - specially designed instruction at no cost to the parents or guardian to meet the unique needs of a child in need of special services, including development of the child’s educational potential. The term shall include: a) instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and b) instruction in physical education.

Administrator of Special Education - Each school committee shall appoint a person to be its Administrator of Special education. This person has the responsibility for supervising the provision of all special education in the school district.

BSEA - (Bureau of Special Education Appeals) Settles disputes over provisions of Special Education.

Child - A school age child: any person of ages three through twenty-one up to his/her twenty-second birthday, who has not obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Consent - Agreement by a parent who has been fully informed of all information relevant to the activity for which consent is sought, in his/her native language or other mode of communication.

Days - School working days.

Educational Advocate - A person who is assigned to act in special educational matters on behalf of a child who has been referred for evaluation or is in special education.

Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) - A plan developed to help a child with a disability meet their educational needs.

Free Appropriate Public Education - Special education and related services which: a) are provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction without charge; b) meet state education standards; c) include preschool, elementary school or secondary education; d) are provided in conformity with an individualized educational plan which meets the requirements of these regulations; and e) assure maximum possible development.

Least Restrictive Environment - A child with special needs will be educated
in a classroom with children without special needs whenever possible. A child with special needs will only be removed from a class with children with out special needs when services can’t be provided satisfactorily.

Eligibility - A child who has a disability that is not allowing him/her to make effective progress in class.

Prototype - Determines the amount of time a special needs child will be out of a class with children with out special needs. Examples of prototypes are; a) Regular education program with modifications(no time out of the class); b) Regular education program with no more than 25% time out(no more than 25% of the time of the school day school can be spent outside the classroom); c) Regular education program with no more that 60% time out(no more than 60% of the time of the school day can be spent outside the classroom); d) Substantially separate program(contains only children with special needs, no more than 8 children per teacher, children can go to a classroom with children with out special needs for a time if the IEP states this).

TEAM - A group of people who are responsible for writing the IEP. The TEAM consists of a chair person, a teacher who has recently had or currently has the child in the classroom or other teaching situation. It also includes the child’s parents, the child, at his/her request, if such child is 14 to 21.Other individuals can be present at the request of the parents, those professionals who have conducted tests on the child, and other individuals who may be necessary to write the IEP for the child.